A staple business on Windsor's Ottawa St. is closing its doors.
Karen's 4or Kids has been outfitting people with shoes since the late 1940's — and after 70-years — the two brothers running the store have come to the emotional decision to close their fathers' legacy.
Charles Blaine went into business for himself after returning home from the Second World War in 1947, naming the store after his first child and only daughter Karen.
His sons took over when he passed away in 1973 and in 2019 they've decided to retire and walk away from the business that supported their family for generations.
The brothers tell CTV Windsor the store has weathered recessions and changes in retail because of one thing — a loyal customer base.
"Regular customers that come in from Germany, and Japan yes they come in and load up. They come in, say they can't find a store similar to ours that does the kind of fitting and service and product that we carry."
Jack says it's going to be hard to say goodbye, but it's time.
"Closing the store is pretty emotional because of the fact that uh it's the last thing that he had physically here on earth," he says.
The brothers say their father would be proud his legacy continued wall into a new century.
"I think he'd be very satisfied and happy that we're still physically able to do this and that we have our health and that we're going out on top," says Arnie.
The store will be closed next week to prepare for what the Blaine brothers call there, "grand retirement reopening.”
They expect to cram five-month’s worth of sales into the last two-months they are in business and they stress this is a retirement and a decision they came to all on their own.